The Simpsons is one of the most popular animated shows of all time.
The show has been on the air for over 30 years and has produced some of the most iconic characters in television history.
Here are ten fun facts about The Simpsons:
1. The Simpson family was originally going to be named after creator Matt Groening’s own family members. However, he decided to name them after his favourite cartoon characters growing up instead – Bart, Lisa and Maggie after The Flintstones’ Barney, Betty and Wilma and Homer after Homer Simpson from Life in Hell.
2. Matt Groening actually drew inspiration for Springfield’s location from Portland, Oregon – where he grew up. In fact, many of the landmarks in Springfield are based on real-life places in Portland.
3. One of the original writers on The Simpsons was Conan O’Brien. He wrote several episodes during the first two seasons before leaving to pursue a career in late night television.
4. Did you know that Mr Burns’ full name is Charles Montgomery Burns? His middle name was revealed to be “Montgomery” in an episode where he goes back in time and meets his parents (who were voiced by none other than Kirk Douglas and Jane Fonda).
5. Marge Simpson’s distinctive blue hairdo was inspired by a combination of Margaret Thatcher and Grace Kelly – two powerful women who had very different hairstyles.
6. Many famous celebrities have guest-starred on The Simpsons over the years, including Leonard Nimoy, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ricky Gervais, Hugh Laurie and even Barack Obama!
7. In 1997, an episode of The Simpsons titled “The City Of New York Vs Homer Simpson” aired which featured the World Trade Center towers prominently throughout. After 9/11 happened, that episode was pulled from syndication out of respect for those affected by the tragedy. It has since been re-aired with a dedication at the beginning paying tribute to those that lost their lives.
8. While it may seem like there are an endless number of supporting characters on The Simpsons, there are actually only four voice actors who play all of them. They are Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe) and Harry Shearer (Mr Burns). Everyone else you hear is just one of these four talented people doing impressions.
9. Funnily enough, despite being such an integral part of American pop culture, The Simpsons is actually banned in China. This is because Chinese officials believe that it promotes bad values and encourages laziness – something they definitely don’t want their citizens doing.
10. Did you know that every single frame of animation on The Simpsons takes approximately 12 hours to create? That means that each 22 minute episode requires 264 hours or 11 days worth of work from start to finish!
